Liberation Route Marker 113: Liberation from the air

Liberation from the air
On Sunday September 17, in three quarters of an hour, more than 4.500 paratroopers are dropped in this area. This farm, Paulushoef, is an excellent landmark for the pilots, because the name can be seen in large letters on the roof. After the paratroopers have landed, a further 53 gliders with troops and equipment also land. Paul van Overveld is a boy of 15 and he sees it all.

This farm was in the middle of the area designated by the Allies as one of the drop and landing zones for the largest ever airborne landing operation on Sunday, Sept. 17, 1944. The farm was easily recognizable to pilots from the air because the name “Paulushoef” was written in large white letters on the roof. In addition to some 4,500 paratroopers, 53 Waco gliders landed there, suspended by cable behind the Skytrain transport planes and unloaded over the landing zone. These gliders carried jeeps and other rolling stock and men.

The residents of the farms in the Sonnius neighborhood helped the Americans in any way they could. In the days that followed, the area was used even more frequently for landings and the unloading of reinforcements, heavy equipment and supplies.

Audiospot - Liberation from the air

Liberation Route Europe is a certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. With hundreds of sites and stories in nine European countries, the route links the main regions along the advance of the Allied Forces in 1943-1945.
The entire route consists of themed routes that can be travelled by by hiking, walking, cycling and car. These routes pass numerous historical and interesting sites and tell stories from a multitude of perspectives that were important in the final phase of World War II.
Many routes feature listening spots, offering the opportunity to listen to a historical story at a location. In addition, many ‘Vectors of Memory’ have been placed, indicating that the passer-by is on one of the Liberation Routes.
The routes can be found on the Liberation Route Europe website or in the app through which many stories can also be listened to.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: TracesOfWar & Liberation Route Europe
• Photos: Lennard Bolijn